Iran greets al-Moallem & defends al-Assad

On a visit to Iran, the Syrian foreign minister claimed Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are supporting a plot masterminded by Israel to destroy Syria. The three regional powers have all been backing rebels trying to overthrow authoritarian President Bashar al-Assad.

At a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem also talked about the government offensive in Aleppo, where rebels are trying to repel the regime's air and ground assault. Describing the rebels as "armed terrorists," he says the military defeated them in Damascus and will do so again in Aleppo, the country's commercial hub.

"The Syrian people are determined to face the conspiracy hatched against them and achieve victory over it," al-Moallem said in a joint press conference with Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran on Sunday, stressing that the Syrian army will continue facing the armed terrorist groups on the ground.

He highlighted the Syrians' steadfastness throughout the crisis despite the inhumane siege imposed by the US, the EU countries and the states of the so-called Arab League which targets the Syrians with their living.

Al-Moallem also stressed that Syria is facing systematic media instigation, referring also to the scheme behind the terrorists bombing of the National Security building which claimed the lives of four military leaders.

He cited in this regard what his Iranian counterpart told him when offering condolences over the leaders' martyrdom when he said that Iran get out stronger after the assassination of Iranian leaders during a meeting at the Republican Party building.

"Today I say to you that Syria is stronger and our determination to face this scheme is stronger, and we have proved this on the ground since the Wednesday when they planned for what they called "The Great Battle for Damascus"," said al-Moallem.

He continued that despite the groups of terrorists who were mobilized for the battle, "they were defeated in less than a week and the battle failed, so they moved to Aleppo where they will certainly fail."

"Whether or not we possess unconventional weapons, Syria has repeatedly declared its readiness to establish a region free of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction," al-Moallem stressed.

"The truth is that Syria is a country of confrontation as part of its land is under the occupation of Israel which possesses nuclear capabilities acknowledged by the US," al-Moallem added, pointing out at the Pentagon Israel is said to have over 200 nuclear bombs.

"As with regard to the convention on prohibition of chemical weapons, we are ready to sign it if signed by Israel. This is fair and legitimate and Syria is a responsible country that respects international legitimacy and the rules of international law in this regard," said Minister al-Moallem, adding that Syria wants welfare to prevail the region.

Asked on the plan of the UN envoy Kofi Annan, al-Moallem reiterated Syria's full abidance by the plan being "a reasonable plan and an appropriate means to resolve the crisis in Syria."

He cited two essential points in the plan: the preventing of foreign interference in Syria and the stress on the political solution.

With regard to the implementation of Annan's plan, the Foreign Minister made clear that the Syrian government has offered all it could and pulled out its forces from the Syrian cities.

He highlighted the fact that the implementation of the plan will guarantee preventing interference in the Syrian internal affair by such countries as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

"This is an important point in Annan's plan to prevent disrupting security in Syria as the opposition still up to this moment can engage into serious dialogue with the government," said al-Moallem.

Al-Moallem added that the conspirators are so fierce that even when security and stability are restored to Syria, the conspiracy will not end, and that Israel is the mastermind of the conspiracy and regrettably there are some Gulf states supporting Israel in implementing the conspiracy, which is why the international activity against Syria has not ended.

Answering a question, al-Moallem said, "the terrorist groups which come across the borders from Turkey to Syria are from various nationalities: Egyptians, Libyans, Iraqis and others," pointing out that a number of the Iraqi terrorists arrested in Syria belong to Al Qaeda.

He added, "There are others who came to Syria as journalists and later the authorities discovered they were not journalists, and many of those who were arrested in Syria took up arms and fought against the Syrian Arab Army and the government," pointing out that those who surrenders their weapons and whose hands are clear of blood will be pardoned immediately, and as for those who want dialogue and have demands, their demands will be studied and the legitimate ones will be addressed.

Syria`s Foreign and Expatriates Minister said "what we want from Lebanon is to remain safe and united and to help us prevent the infiltration of terrorists through its borders."

On the statements of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in which he laid the responsibility of bloodshed in Syria on the west and some regional countries, Minister al-Moallem said these statements come from a man with considerable experience who is well-informed of what is going on the Syrian, regional and internal arenas.

Al-Moallem described his talks with his Iranian counterpart as very productive, stressing that the viewpoints of the two countries were identical on the regional issues and the conspiracy hatched against Syria to serve the interests of Israel.

For his part, the Iranian Foreign Minister stressed that the Israel is behind what is going on in Syria and that some states are rushing madly against Syria to weaken its position and hinder its development.

Salehi pointed out that an international conspiracy is targeting Syria, saying that some sides are looking for pretexts and reasons for the developments and events in Syria, while he believes that the only reasons for these developments is that Israel is inciting against Syria.

Salehi added that the Syrian leadership has met most of the legitimate demands of the Syrian people.

Salehi said "we are working to achieve security and stability in this region which is full of problems, and the wrong acts undertaken by some states prove that a conspiracy is targeting Syria … they naively believe that they can replace the government if they created vacuum in Syria, which is a naive misconception and they certainly should reconsider and pay attention to the internal situation in Syria and decide accordingly."

Iranian Foreign Minister voiced certainty and confidence that the Syrian people will be victorious, as victory comes from righteousness.

Press reports on Sunday indicated that Syria`s FM visit to Iran comes as heaving fighting in Aleppo reached its second day, with reports of clashes taking place in the neighborhoods of Bab al-Hadeed, al-Zahraa and al-Arqoub, which were reported by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Another Syrian government member, Deputy Prime Minister Omar Ghalawanji , met with Tehran officials on Wednesday. Ghalawanji met with Iranian officials in order to discuss economic relations between both countries, according to AFP.

According to UN, the total number of victims of the conflict in Syria has exceeded 17,000 people. About 230,000 people have become refugees.